Infantino apologises over controversial World Cup proposal, vows to remain FIFA president

Infantino has come under criticism following the plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors.

The decision was met by an unprecedented global backlash from other governing bodies like UEFA, CONMEBOL and others, who rejected the idea.

Following the disagreement, FIFA decided to abandon the plan to sell a stake in the World Cup to private equity investors.

The 56-year-old acknowledged significant errors in the handling of the scheme. In a joint letter co-signed by Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom, FIFA's senior leadership expressed regret over the affair.

"We sincerely apologise for these errors and commit to them not happening again," the letter stated. "We acknowledge that errors were also made after the proposal was leaked to the media."

The letter confirmed that the plan has been taken "off the table" and that an internal review will be conducted. The findings of this review are set to be presented to the FIFA Council at its next meeting.

Officials admitted that the proposal "should have been handled differently" and that member associations and council members should not have been excluded from the initial discussions. 

Despite the apology, the letter defended the legality of the process, asserting that "everything that was done was done in full compliance with the FIFA regulatory framework".

Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, FIFA's senior leadership expressed unanimous support for Infantino, stating that the president, secretary general, and administration were "working as one team".